Chapter 40 December 19, 1812: The Russian winter H

Last night I had the biggest surprise of my life.

I didnt go to bed at my usual time. I was writing a letter to Oscar, and I had a lot to say. La Flotte had gone to bed. Count Rosen and Marie were sitting with me upstairs. The count was reading Danish newspapers, we cant get Swedish ones any more. Marie was sewing some warm winter clothes for Pierre.

The sound of a carriage broke the silence of the empty street. It stopped outside our house, and someone knocked loudly on our front door.

Count Rosen got up. "I cant receive visitors at this hour," I told him. "Tell them Im in bed. Dont let them come into the house."

He left the room. A moment later I heard voices downstairs. The count had taken the visitors into my drawing room. I could hear someone putting wood on the fire. Several minutes passed. At last he came back.

"I told you not to let anyone come in," I said.

";It isnt anyone, Your Highness. Its His Majesty the Emperor!"

"Who?" I couldnt believe my ears.

"His Majesty is here, with one gentleman. He wishes to speak to Your Highness."

"Tell him Ive gone to bed," I said. What else could I say? I was very afraid.

"Ive told him that. He still wants to speak to you."

So I had to go down to the drawing room. Marie was already there. She had lit all the candles and made the fire burn brightly.

Count Caulaincourt, the Emperors equerry, was sitting on a sofa. His eyes were shut, and he seemed to be asleep. The Emperor was standing in front of the fire. He was wearing a sheepskin coat and cap. His head and shoulders hung down, so I couldnt see his face. He was almost too tired to stand. If Rosen hadnt told me, I wouldnt have recognized him.

Neither of them heard me come in. I looked at them for a moment, then I said: "Your Majesty."

Caulaincourt stood up at once and took his cap off. The Emperor slowly raised his head.

I forgot to bow. I was too surprised. His face was thin and grey, and all the life had gone out of his eyes.

"Count Rosen," I said. "Nobody has taken His Majestys cap and coat."

"Im cold," said Napoleon. But he took his cap off and gave it to Rosen.

Marie brought some brandy, and I offered the Emperor a glass. He didnt seem to hear me. He was lost in thought.

Caulaincourt accepted a glass and said: "Weve been traveling for thirteen days and nights without a proper rest. No one in Paris knows that weve returned. His Majesty wants to talk to Your Highness before he goes to the Tuilleries."

I was astonished. The emperor had returned from Moscow, and he had come straight to my house. Even the Empress didnt know that he was in Paris.

I said loudly: "Drink this brandy, Your Majesty. It will warm you. And allow me to introduce my equerry, Count Rosen."

Rosen bowed. Napoleon just looked at him. Then he drank the brandy and asked for more. "Why are you so surprised to see me here, Your Highness?" he asked. "You and I are old friends, arent we?"

"We are, Your Majesty," I agreed. "But its the middle of the night, and you havent shaved for a week or more." Then I added: "Wont you sit down?"

He left his face with one hand and he almost smiled. Usually he shaves every day, even in camp. "Thank you, I prefer to stand," he said. "But everyone else may sit down."

We all sat. Then I began: "May I ask why---"

"No, madame Bernadotte!" he suddenly screamed at me. "No, you may not ask, Madame Bernadotte!" His voice was so fierce that Count Rosen jumped up, with his hand on his sword.

"Sit down, count," I said. "His Majesty is too tired to speak politely." Then I turned to the Emperor and said: "Please tell me why you have come here."

"Why? I will tell you why. The roads between Paris and Moscow are covered with dead French soldiers, madame. The Russians killed some of them. Most of them died because they were too cold and hungry to march any more. Their bodies havent been buried. They just lie in the snow. They----"

A sudden wild cry interrupted him. It was Marie. She had gone down on her knees in front of the Emperor.

"Help a mother, Your Majesty," she begged. "My Pierre will need a warm coat. Will you tell an officer to take it to him? Please, Your Highness! Please!"

Napoleon stood there and stared at her. For a moment he was too astonished to speak. Then he started to laugh like a madman. "One coat for half a million soldiers, alive or dead! One nice warm coat for all my army!" He laughed louder and louder. It was too cruel.

I took Marie to the door. Her body was shaking and tears were pouring down her face. "Go to bed, dearest Marie," I said. "Go to bed now. Tomorrow well try to get news of Pierre."

I had to go with her to her room. When I came back to the drawing room, Napoleon had stopped laughing. He had fallen into a chair.

"Forgive me, madame," he said. "Im very tired."

After that there was a long silence. At last he continued: "I want you to write a letter to your husband. Tell him that the Russian winter, not the Russian army, defeated us. I have come back, and I have new plans. I shall destroy all my enemies. But I need Bernadottes help. Has he forgotten the battles that we fought together? Has he forgotten all the French soldiers who trusted him? If not, he must march with me once more. Do you understand, madame?"

I nodded, "I understand, Your Majesty. You want Sweden to be your ally."

"Ill pay the Swedes a million francs a month till weve beaten our enemies." He looked across at Rosen. I knew what he was going to say next. I had heard it all before. "Ill give them Finland too."

"Finland?" Rosen repeated loudly.

Napoleon was smiling at him. It was the old familiar smile. It once conquered my brother Etienne, when Napoleon wanted to marry me. It has conquered many men since then. Even Rosen was feeling its power.

"I could make Sweden a great country again. But I need an immediate answer." He had been talking quietly. Suddenly he shouted: "Bernadotte plans to attack me --- he and his allies, Russia and England. I advise him to change his plans."

"And if he doesnt?" I dared to ask.

"I shall destroy Sweden completely," the Emperor screamed. Then he got up and marched to the door. "You yourself will bring me Bernadottes answer, madame. If he refuses, you will leave France at once. I shant want to see you again."

Count Rosen took our visitors out to their carriage. When he came back, he asked: "Will you write? And will His Highness reply?"

"Hell reply," I said. "But after that hell never write to the Emperor again."

I said good night to Rosen and I went to Maries bedroom. I stayed there with her for the rest of the night. I promised to write there with to Villatte about Pierre. I promised write to every marshal in the army. I promised to go with her to Russia and look for her son. I promised and promised and promised. At last she stopped crying, and she listened to me like a child. She really believed that I could find him for her.